Texas Matters

Latest Episodes:

Texas Matters: Music from behind the walls of Texas prisons Sep 25, 2026

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This week on Texas Matters — forgotten songs from Texas prisons. Heartfelt tracks written, performed, and recorded by incarcerated men. The resurrected recordings from the '60s, ’70s, and ’80s tell us about crime and punishment, rehabilitation, and the humanity of the men locked inside.

Texas Matters: Dems surge in polling, the high cost of diesel and how the indictments of noncitizen voters could impact the election Sep 18, 2026

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Today on Texas Matters: New polling in Texas shows that the coming election could break a 30-year drought for Democrats. How high diesel prices are impacting truckers and consumers. And after seven indictments for noncitizens voting in Texas, what are the implications for the upcoming election?

Texas Matters: Ectopic pregnancy deaths rise, maternal mortality report delayed and ICE at polling places Sep 11, 2026

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This week on Texas Matters: Ectopic pregnancy deaths are increasing in Texas. Is there a link to abortion bans? The Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee is holding back its report until after the election. What are the concerns? And could ICE agents show up at the polls this coming election? A lawsuit has been filed to try to prevent that.

Texas Matters: Rep. Goodwin on Texas voter suppression and how the petrochemical industry burdens Gulf Coast cities Sep 05, 2026

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This week on Texas Matters: Will it be harder to vote in Texas in the coming midterm elections? We hear from Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor, Vikki Goodwin. And the Texas Gulf Coast is home to the nation’s petrochemical industry. Is this the economic boon that was promised?

Texas Matters: Why so many Texas schools are closing and the new 'right to repair' in Texas Aug 28, 2026

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This week on Texas Matters: Why are so many Texas public school campuses closing? We hear about the impact of vouchers, charter schools and the underfunding of the public school system. Also, a new law in Texas goes into effect in Texas on Sept. 1 — the right to repair your smart phone and other personal electronic devices. We hear what the new law covers and what it doesn't.

Texas Matters: Ken Paxton corruption questions and Texas transmission lines Aug 21, 2026

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This week on Texas Matters: Is the Republican nominee for Senate, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, exceptionally corrupt? One group is calling out Paxton’s alleged history of abusing his office. And the fight in Texas over transmission powerlines cutting through rural areas.

Texas Matters: Home insurance costs skyrocket and Texas juvenile justice problems persist Aug 14, 2026

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Texas home insurance costs are skyrocketing and becoming a barrier for housing affordability. Rising insurance costs disproportionately burden low- and moderate-income families, erode homeownership stability and weaken communities. And how the Texas Juvenile Justice Department’s five state secure facilities continue to fall short.

Texas Matters: The politics of data centers Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

This week on Texas Matters— How data centers have become a hot-button issue this political cycle and how that controversy could tip the rural vote in the 2026 midterm election. Quorum Report's Scott Braddock breaks down the Texas political landscape.

Former Austin Mayor Steve Adler reflects on the capital city's explosive growth, homelessness and threats to democracy Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

During his time as mayor of Austin from 2015 through 2023, the capital city grew by 20%, saw homelessness become a crisis and faced off against a Republican state government that threatened to take over the city. In Adler's new book, "Hot Seat — Hot City," he reflects on his days at city hall and warns about coming threats to democracy in Texas.

Texas Matters: 'After the Flood' Episode 3 — Investigating the Camp Mystic deaths Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

Nearly a year after the July 4, 2025, floods in the Texas Hill Country, the families of children and counselors killed at Camp Mystic are still seeking accountability and pushing for stronger safety standards.

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